


A thin line to cross

by TimonTomato



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Children death, Gonna check the case just to be sure, I dunno which ones I should tag, I mean that's the focus, Im gnna kill some characters, Jacob slowly descend to hell, M/M, Rook lives, RothFrye, Torture, because that crow deserves to live, blood and violence because AC, but idk if major ones or no, just know a looot of folks will appear at some point of the fic, may be alittle slow tho, sorry about that Jacob xoxo, there are a looot of characters, this isn't an AU but there are MAJOR plot divergence, what major character means anyway, you know there's gonna be drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 02:56:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11004522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimonTomato/pseuds/TimonTomato
Summary: Ever wondered about what would happen if Jacob and Roth hadn't fought and had ended up together, but wondered how in heck it could possibly happen with Roth and Jacob being the way  they are?  Well I have. And this is what this fic is about. In order to be together, one has to change, and this fic is the tale of this; because an event can change everything, and there's a thin line between a gry morality and a darker shade of this grey morality.I hope you'll enjoy!(I haven't planned a sex scene but it may happen, so the warnings on the fic may change. Don't worry tho, I don't do non-con.)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prologue. Sets the events in their right place. So it's pretty short.

Jacob watched the train until it had completely moved out of sight. On board were blighters, so many of them. Had it been another train, another situation, Jacob would have had loved to see how many of the red clothed gang members he could take down before anyone noticed. But not this time. This time they were allies. Allies. It sounded weird. Never had he imagined when he accepted to meet Maxwell Roth that the events would take such a strange turn, nor had he expected a man like Roth to be leader of the blighters. He had imagined one of these pretentious person that the Templar liked to team up with. Instead Roth was…An eccentric man, To say the least. Though he was the “good” type of eccentric. The type that Jacob could see himself working with. The type that would tremendously annoy Evie. He grinned to himself at the thought of Evie interacting with the Blighter's Leader, An interesting, and hilarious perspective.  
Not that it would happen. As Jacob wasn't supposed to have met him. Maybe he would eventually tell his sister about it. Just not now. He didn't really feel like arguing with her. Tonight had been interesting, but still exhausting, he needed to rest before he could interact with his sister, especially since these day they hardly ever could speak to each other without arguing.  
Frowning as he realized he had to head back to the train, he turned around and jumped down the railway to land heavily on the road under it. There weren't many passerbys at this hour, and the few that were there hardly even paid attention to him. One man, holding a bottle, glanced at him, but quickly returned to his drinking. 

As he made his way through the streets of London, Jacob wondered what would come out of this unexpected partnership. He certainly hoped it would turn out better that his short partnership with Pearl Attaway. But he had a good feeling about Roth. At least he wasn't a Templar, which was a great plus.  
The next morning he woke up quite late, thanks to his activities of the previous night. Of course Evie did not miss that detail.  
“Had a fun night brother?” She asked, looking up at him, sitting at a desk with books and other reading material in front of her.  
Jacob, who was still waking up, answered with an annoyed groan. 

“I don't suppose you have anything to do with what happened at St.Pancras last night?”  
“St.Pancras? Doesn't ring a bell.” Jacob said, feigning ignorance. “What happened?” 

Evie gave him a suspicious look, and even if she was not entirely convinced, knowing her brother, she gave him the newspapers. “Explosions.” She said. 

“Someone appears to have set fire to Starrick's newly arrived stock of gunpowder” Henry explained, entering the room, carrying a cup of tea which he put on the desk in front of Evie. She smiled at him, and thanked him. Henry smiled back. Jacob rolled his eyes. The two of them had been doing this...flirting? Ever since they met each others, and yet not one or the other would make a move. It was very frustrating to watch.

“How convenient for us.” Jacob said, smiling. “Well if you ever find whoever did that, I'll be sure to thank them in person.” He added, moving past Henry. “I'm leaving, have fun with your books.”  
Before he could get any form of answer, he left the carriage, then the train, which had stopped for one of the regular resupplying. Today, he had planned several this that would cause a bit of mayhem among the Templars, while Evie was sill looking for that bloody shroud. 

Jacob really didn't understand why his sister couldn't focus on taking down the Templars first. Once the templars out of the picture, they could look for the shroud as much as they wanted. Of course the more they waited to take down the Templars, the closer they got closer to the Shroud. But then of course, he was just the idiot brother, his words were worth nothing, He thought, retracting his hidden blade after successfully having plunged it in his target's neck. Looking around, he realized he had made quite a mess. He was somewhat distracted; the recent events were bothering him. There was the issue of his sister, obviously, but also he thought about his possible new partnership with the Blighter leader, Maxwell Roth. He still hadn't decided whether he would contact him again. He didn't know if it was wise... It certainly was interesting..And it was also good to interact and work with someone who didn't think he was too stupid to think. Jacob could think, he just preferred to act before it was too late. Actions change the world. Not thoughts. He told himself bitterly. Why didn't they understand that?

Frustrated, he walked out of the park and into the streets of London. He looked up, trying to identify a high building in the vicinity, which he then proceeded to climb up - Simple housing building- and he sat on the roof, reflecting on what he was going to do next. He could eventually help Freddy.. If he remembered correctly there was one of the targets nearby. He considered it, but in the end he dismissed the thought, as he was too distracted to plan a careful abduction. Instead he sat there and looked around at the City. London. The center of the world. It was certainly a sight. From where he was sitting, he could see a number of buildings, many of them which he now recognized, despite not having be there for a long time. Among the sea of buildings, somewhere in the distance he recognized the Alhambra Music Hall, or at least he recognized its location. Then Something in his head clicked, and he made the decision to head there. If he had a chance to team up with Roth to hurt Starrick, he would take it. It would be no use to just sit there in fear of how it could go bad. And if it turned out badly...well.. he had his hidden blade.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so here shit goes down. I prefer warning you, unpleasent things happen, so be ready.   
> I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and won't be too upset! (just a tiny bit upset)!

When Jacob showed up at the Music Hall, Lewis looked as formal and solemn as the day before. He looked at the assassin with a perfectly neutral expression. Jacob swore he could see a hint of distaste on the man's face. But he didn't really care otherwise.

“Do you have an invitation? Or perhaps you have decided to go on stage?”  
Jacob raised an eyebrow, amused.

“Nope, just coming to say hello.” He said, with his most charming smile. Then he raised the bottle of wine he had purchased on the way for the man to see. “I even brought a gift.”  
Lewis seemed unimpressed, but moved out of the way and let him inside nonetheless.  
The room was just like it had been the day before. Various artists or comedians were there, props were all over the room, some being fixed by men who quietly left as soon as their job was done. They would never get any recog,ition, but they probably didn't want any; all they needed was the money, just like most people living in London. In another life, perhaps Jacob would have been one of them.  
He headed toward the back of the room, where he saw Roth discussing with a woman- No one Jacob recognized. A comedian perhaps? He stopped, planning to wait for their conversation to be over, but Roth spotted him, and he started grinning.

“Jacob!” He said, opening his arms in a theatrical gesture, which he seemed to do rather often . Everything about Roth felt like he was on a stage at all time. And maybe in a sense, he was.  
Jacob smiled back, advancing toward the man, wine bottle still in hand. Roth looked at him, still looking delighted, then at the woman he had been speaking to.

“Let's talk about that later shall we? I appear to have a guest.”  
The woman frowned, glancing sideways at Jacob, clearly displeased, then departed.

“I'm not interrupting anything am I?” He asked, looking at the woman as she left.

“No, no. Merely formalities. Dreadfully boring ones too.” “I was not expecting your visit today. Nothing regrettable has happened I hope?” 

“Oh, only the usual.” Jacob said “I just came to bring a gift, to celebrate our collaboration” He showed the bottle he had been holding. Roth took it, examined it and then grinned, clearly pleased.

“Ha! Then let's celebrate shall we?” “Come with me; We wouldn't want to disturb rehearsals with our drinking.”  
Jacob followed him to a private looking room, it seemed rather cosy, and there were two blighters waiting in the corridor, or more likely guarding it. It was probably Roth's private quarters in the Alhambra. Part of his brain always looked for the possible issues in case something turned out badly. He spotted two windows. They were somewhere on the last floor. It could be tricky to get out from there. But he had done worse. He decided to stop thinking about it and sat down at the table with Roth, who brought two glasses in which he poured the wine, then he sat in his own chair and raised his glass.

“To our collaboration, and to the many future wounds to be dealt to Starrick!”  
Jacob raised his glass as well. He rarely drank wine as it was generally expensive but this was a special occasion, which he somehow felt like celebrating. Plus he always appreciated drinking in good company. His sister was not good company when he drunk. 

“Hopefully they'll be deadly ones” Jacob said. And they both drank.

They drank several glasses while talking about a large variety of things. Business related things were not in abundance in this conversation. They mostly exchanged interesting stories and personal experiences. Jacob was surprised to hear that Roth used to enjoy boxing, on top of all of his other hobbies, involving varied criminal activities, certainly. Jacob didn't talk about the Assassin much. He mentioned his sister and the sometimes strict creed his father had raised him to follow. It had been a while since Jacob hadn't spent a good evening in the company of another friendly human being. Ever since he arrived in London, he and his sister had made more enemies than friends, and with the Templar threat everywhere, it was hard to ever relax. He was sure his sister would disapprove. And heaven knows if she of all people needed to relax. It was a good change, and Roth was good company. Jacob started to really appreciate the man, they appeared to share the same view of the world. Something that Jacob had almost thought impossible. Among this; Roth was, admittedly, very charming, no wonder he ended up leading one of the most powerful gang of London, and owned a music hall on the side. It was probably all in his blood, to keep any who listened hanging to each of his words. But all good things eventually come to an end, and Jacob eventually decided he should leave before they started another bottle and he got more drunk than acceptable.

“Do come by later this week, dear. By then I'll have planned another fun expedition for you.” Roth said, before Jacob left.

“I can't wait” He answered, smiling, and then left the room, and soon enough he was back in the streets of London, the sun having set a long time ago. It's rather cold outside but Jacob barely notices it, thanks to his inebriated state.  
It took him a while to get back to the train, he hadn't wanted to head back immediately. He half hoped no one would be there, so he could crash in bed and just sleep until morning. Wine may appear inoffensive, but it worked just as well as anything else after fenough bottles of it. 

“Jacob! You're finally back.” Evie said, almost running up to him as he entered the carriage.

“I am back. Something happened?” 

“We got a visit. Templars.” Henry said. He appeared to have been wounded. He still was not entirely back on his feet after his capture by templars. 

“Goddammit” Jacob said. He wished he had been there to help. “Everyone alright?”

“Yes. Thankfully, they were not as numerous as our men.” Evie said, looking at him with a strange expression. She looked him up and down, with her brows furrowed. “Are you alright?”

“Absolutely. I just need sleep.” He said. In any other circumstances he would not have hidden his drunkenness to his sister, but something in his brain told him he would better not make it too obvious after what she had just announced. “Anyway I'm off for tonight.” he passed Henry and Evie, and patted his sister's back before leaving to get much needed sleep.  
What he did not see, was his sister's judgmental look as she knew. As if he could hide these things from me, She thought. She made a mental note of looking into this later. It was unlike him to get drunk on his own when there are templars to kill all over the city. 

The next day, Evie watched her brother go, he looked terribly hangover, but denied feeling sick. How typical of him. She let him go about his business, and went on to do her own. 

“Henry? I'm leaving. Are you gonna manage on your own?” She asked. She was still feeling like she couldn't allow him to come on mission with her, thanks to what happened the last time she did. It had put some distance between the two of them. And maybe it was better that way. But right now he was wounded, so at least she wouldn't have to feel guilty about not bringing him with her. She mentally slapped herself. She shouldn't feel guilty. Henry was a good man, and he was useful, but he was not built for field work. He had said so himself.

“As long as we don't get attacked, I should be fine.” He answered, with a smile. She smiled back at him, apologetically. At least the tension between the two of them had eased a bit. Though she did her best to keep a certain distance between the two of them. Her father had advised her against pursuing romantic relationships with other assassins, as it always ended up getting in the way of their mission eventually. It would be difficult at first, but surely it got easier with time.  
She left to go about her assassin business. Today she had planned to help Clara and the other urchin children. They still needed help, the cold temperatures had gotten many of them to fall sick. And they always needed more antibiotics, or warm blankets, this kind of things. And of course Templars -using the blighters- always interrupted the delivery of those to the hospital, to Mrs. Nightingale’s despair. She would put an end to that.

 

Meanwhile, Jacob was walking through the street of London, taking advantage of the fresh morning air to clear is head. His sister certainly saw he had been drinking. Or was it her usual disapproving eyes? He couldn't really say. Maybe he had gotten used to it. Evie looked at him the same way their father used to. Disapproval, or maybe disappointment heavy in their stare. Even as he was a child, Jacob had always been able to tell the difference between how their father had looked at Evie, his eyes always seemed to be filled with pride whenever he saw her. But the second he laid eyes on his son, it wasn't pride that was in his eyes anymore. Something other. Worry? Disappointment? Simply disapproval? It hadn't really mattered at the time, and still didn't matter now. It had been all he had needed to see to realize he would never make his father proud like his twin did. And now Evie gave him the same look.

He shook away these gloomy thoughts. Today was a good day he told himself. It wasn't raining today, and he could even see sunlight piercing through the clouds. A fine weather for the City. Today maybe he could just relax for once. He was still hangover but it wouldn't last long. And he could go back to the train to nap. Evie was certainly gone at this hour, and Henry wasn't the type to ruin other people's naps. Or at least he hoped. Otherwise, he had to seriously reconsider his opinion of the man.  
He walked some more, before heading back to the train, where a nice surprise awaited him. It was a Gatling gun. Jacob wondered if it was his birthday. Suddenly all need for a nap disappeared. Sadly, it didn't last long, as it ended up being destroyed by its former owners, the Blighters. Still he thanked Nigel and offered to pay him a drink some day. He also vaguely wondered if he should continue to slaughter blighters. But then, as long as they are loyal to Starrick's men, they were enemies. So he decided it was fine. Roth hadn't seemed to be bothered by this even when they first met; strangely enough.

 

When Evie came back to the train, it was getting quite late. She was exhausted, as she had been running around the city all day. She was quite surprised to find a very cheerful looking Jacob, discussing with Nigel. She raised an eyebrow, observing them from afar.

“Welcome back Evie.” Henry greeted her, now standing beside her.

“Something good happened?” She asked, in a somehow low voice, asif not to interrupt her brother. Or perhaps to not be noticed.  
Henry chuckled.

“Nigel stole a Gatling gun from the blighters. Needless to say, your brother was delighted to use it.”  
Evie turned to look at the other assassin, eyes wide in disbelief. She was actually impressed by what Nigel had done. And also concerned. The man was probably not entirely sane to have done such a dangerous thing.

“A Gatling gun? Where is it?”

“Sadly, it was destroyed as they used it to fend off the blighters who came to get it back. Though Jacob assured that it had been worth it nonetheless.”  
Evie smiled, shaking her head, amused and slightly exasperated.

“That's Jacob for you.”  
Finally Jacob turned toward her. He had probably known she was there for quite a while, but he had been quite taken in his conversation. 

“Evie! You'll never guess what happened.” Jacob started, grinning like a child who had just received his birthday present.

That day when Jacob arrived to the Alhambra, he found Roth staring at a cage, in which was a crow. He seemed simply fascinated by the little black bird, Jacob was surprised to see such genuine awe on the face of Someone like him. He was surprised that Roth even noticed his arrival. “Jacob!” he said, looking up, seeming as delighted to see him as usual, but quickly returning his attention to the caged bird “he's beautiful isn't he?” He said. Jacob was not sure. He looked at the bird. Then at Roth's awed face and just shrugged. He is not without beauty, true. He told himself. Though he didn't know if he was more fascinated by the bird or by Roth's expression when he looked at it. Clearly the man had his own special concept of beauty. Roth blinked, shaking his head, As though shaking himself out of a dream, then stood up to give his full attention to Jacob. 

He explained his plan to kidnap three of Starrick's henchmen. And that he would be coming along. Jacob was delighted to get a bit of meaningful action. Although he had enjoyed testing the Gatling gun, it had not really been against Templars. He somehow wondered if Roth knew about what happened, and if he had just decided to not mention it. Maybe he just didn't care. Jacob hoped he didn't care. He decided that killing more of Roth's men today would be terribly rude, and so he promised himself to try not kill a Blighter today. Just temporarily immobilize them.  
It made things considerably harder. But not too hard for Jacob Frye. He might not been the king of planning, but he could take down enemy faster than they could spot him. Before reaching the place occupied by their targets, Roth explained to Jacob everything he needed to know about them and what they did. He seemed to know them well, and they seemed to know him back. They didn't seem to be in good term though, and Jacob wondered how for long Roth had been pissing off templars. They also talked about other thing in between- Non professional things- It felt like ever since their drinking session, it was not out of place to ask about more personal matters. And Roth didn't seem to mind. He answered every single ones of Jacob's question, about the Alhambra, about the Blighters, or even about Lewis, who truthfully, gave Jacob a weird feeling of being unwanted whenever he came to visit. Lewis was indeed polite, but he seemed very passive-aggressive with Jacob. He knew that. He and his sister were passive-aggressive with each others more than necessary. After Roth's somewhat vague answer, Jacob wondered if it wasn't simply jealousy. Their conversation had also confirmed Jacob's thoughts about his new partner in crime: He had a mindset closer to an assassin's than anything else. A mindset very similar to Jacob actually; with less rules than the Creed imposed. He liked that very much. He found that the more time he spent with the man, the more it appeared that their beliefs matched, and that perhaps, their partnership could evolve into friendship. In fact he was certain of it after this mission. He liked Roth, and Roth appreciated his company just as much. Perhaps Evie would find it inappropriate to make friends out of professional partners who also happened to be leaders of a rival gang, but Evie, just like their father, was not the highest authority of this world, and Jacob was going to do how he damn well pleased. He had followed their rules all his life, despite his own beliefs, and it had brought him nothing but frustration. He had an opportunity for friendship with someone who truly understood him, and he was not going to pass on it because of the Creed . If anything, befriending Roth this would only be beneficial to him and their cause.

Once he had delivered all of the three target to Roth,, Jacob decided it was time to move on to other activities. Being productive, and all that. He was feeling in a rather good mood after this, Roth too , apparently. He was grinning, positively delighted by their little adventure. “We make a fine team, you and me darling. Do come see me later. We have much work to do.” He said.  
“I wouldn't want to miss that.” Jacob smiled back at the man. He meant it. He wouldn't want to miss another day like this. Annoying Starrick, kidnapping Templars, while having delightful conversations? He definitely had know worse ways to spend the day.

 

As the train stopped at one of London's numerous train station; Evie heard her name being called outside. She looked up from her books, wondering if she had imagined it. But she could indeed hear a small voice-that of a child- calling her name. She stood up, and walked out of the carriage to look at the crowd. She quickly spotted a young girl running toward her. She had a worn dress and messy black hair, she couldn't have been older than ten. 

“Miss Frye!” She called, making her way through the crowd as she spotted her. Evie ran up to her, brows furrowing in concern. She was most certainly part of Clara's network. “Thank God I found you! Please Miss Frye you must help us!” The young girl begged, her face red, tears filling her eyes.

“Take a deep breath and tell me what happened” Evie said, kneeling in front of the child, a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

“It's Starrick's men, miss” She started “They took all of us. They only let me go so I could warn you, please you have to help us!”  
Evie was horrified. She knew templars were ruthless. But taking children? It made her blood boil. Monsters. All of them. She thought. 

“Where have they taken them?” She asked. The little girl looked at her with hope.

“It's not far from here! Come with me!”

“Wait a second.” She said. “I need to get my brother. He's in the train. Together we'll have more chance of helping all of you.”  
The little girl nodded. Evie told her to come on board the train and left her with Agnès while she went to look for her brother. She found him hanging out with some of his Rooks, playing cards.

“Jacob, we need to go. The Templars have Clara and the children.”  
Jacob looked up at her and immediately stood up, apologizing to the Rooks. 

“Where are those rats hiding?” He asked, his tone cold and angry. He was ready to kill. And on that Evie could only agree with her twin. They both knew it was a trap, the little girl was probably aware of this fact as well, but they just couldn't leave children to be murdered just to protect their own lives.

 

The Frye twins followed the little girl to a small and rather old looking warehouse building. The doors were all closed, and there were a few templars and blighters keeping watch outside. Evie thanked the girl and told her to get to safety and wait for the other children. “You've been really brave.” She added, with a smile. The little girl smiled faintly and disappeared in the streets.  
They decided to climb at the top of a nearby building, to have a better view of the building, and of the number of enemies. The factory was quite small, three stories only.

“We can get in through this window” Evie said, pointing at an open window on the last story of the building, keeping her voice low despite to enemies being nearby. “We need to take down the sentry first.” She pointed at a woman holding a gun who was posted right in front of the window. 

“I can take care of her-” Jacob started, but he was interrupted by his sister.

“No. I'll take her down. Wait for my signal to join me.” Without waiting for any form of protestations, she usd her grapling hook to get on the roof, and climbed up, arriving right behind the woman. She stabbed her in the spine with her hidden blade, putting a hand over her mouth, then sliced her throat, then slowly laid the body down, so it wouldn't make a noise when it fell. She raised her hand to indicate her brother that he could join her, and a few seconds later they were both inside the building. Jacob quickly took care of one of the templars who was guarding the area, and they both looked down from their platform to see the children. They were all on their knees, hands tied, held on gunpoint by six men, three of them on the second story, three of them on the ground right behing the children. There was perhaps a dozen of urchins there, including Clara. They were crying, and the girl appeared to be whispering to them, reassuring them. 

They could see four other guards on the last level. Templars. Circling the area. , and two more on the platform under them. They were largely outnumbered. It would require careful planning, and absolute silence. They also spotted the leader, a rather lean man, who was pacing in front of the children.

“Where is she uh? As it appears, Miss Frye doesn't value your lives much, does she? But it's understandable. You are like rats, running through the streets. No home, no family, and stealing from London's honest citizens. You are parasites.”  
Some of the children glared at him while others quietly wept. 

“We need to take down the gunmen on the upper floor first. But we have to be extremely discreet. If we alert them, they'll shoot the children.”

“I had guessed that much.” Jacob whispered back. “I'll take miss grumpy face there” he pointed at one of the executioners. “You take down the man. Whichever of us is the fastest takes down the third one.” He declared, and moved to leave but Evie held his arm. 

“Be careful brother. They knew we were going to come. It might not be as easy as we think.”

“We'll show them what we're capable of when they piss us off.” Jacob simply answered, heading down the stairs. Evie threw followed and they both went in opposite directions, sneaking behind crated and other conveniently placed piles of items to conceal their presence. Evie focused on her own target, she knew that Jacob would be careful considering that children's lives were at stake. She slowly sneaked upon her victim, carefully keeping an eye on the floor. She had spotted traps earlier. Nothing elaborated, but she needed to avoid stepping on one. She took down her own target easily, without a noise, and glanced at Jacob, who was doing the same thing. As she moved toward the third gunman, she heard a loud thud and Children started to scream. She looked down, unable to resist it, and saw that the man had grabbed Clara by the hair, and was yelling at her.

“Say that to my face you little whore!” He yelled, shaking the poor girl, who despite that tried her best not to cry.  
But looking away was a mistake. The distraction broke her focus, and she stepped on the wrong spot. It all went quickly. She took a step and the floor gave in under her feet, she lost her balance and fell through the hole in the floor, falling hard on the ground below. All eyes were now on her, and templars quickly surrounded her. She was down, slightly dizzy, and had probably broken her leg.  
Jacob heard the noise and immediately rushed to take down the third shooter, before looking down to see what had happened. He saw Evie, trying to sit up, surrounded by templars, who held her on gunpoint.

“Miss Frye! You almost had us waiting!” The Templar leader said. “Tie her down, don't let her escape. Starrick wants her alive.” In a few minuted Evie's arms and leg were bound with rope.

“Now what shall we do about those parasites..?” The man mused, looking at the children with a demonic smile on his face. Jacob didn't really think. He threw a smoke grenade, then jumped on the two shooters under him, his hidden blade piercing their necks, he moved quickly and killed the third one.

“Take the girl!” The leader yelled to his men, coughing through the smoke. “And burn this place down!”  
It all went quickly, one of the Templars set fire to a pool of oil on the floor, and it spread everywhere quickly. The children were still bound in the middle of the room, the fire surrounding them, and creeping upward, and Evie was being taken away. The artifial smoke that had dissipated let place to thick grey smoke, and through it Jacob saw Evie, who looked at him, her eyes stern. He could almost hear her repeating the same word she had said too often “Do not let personal feelings compromise the mission.” Jacob looked at the children, crying and screaming, and at his sister who was carried away, thrown over some brute's shoulder. He gritted his teeth, and ran toward Clara to free her, lending her one of his knife so she could free others. Some of them had already passed out because of the smoke, and others started to stand, heading toward one of the door. 

“It's locked!” Clara yelled, desperately pulling on the door knob.

Jacob kicked down the door, carrying a little girl in his arm. The wooden walls were engulfed in flames, and so everything threatened to collapse. There were still children inside. He put down the little girl he was carrying at a safe distance and ran back inside. The fire was spreading too quickly. The walls and ceiling were collapsing. He spotted at least five children laying motionless on the floor. I have to save them! He thought. He wanted to save all of them. He had let his sister be taken by Templars to save them. He couldn't let those kid die.  
He carried another kid out, then another. His head was spinning. His vision was getting blurry, his eyes stung because of the smoke, and the children were starting to feel heavy. As he headed toward the building once more, as fast as his legs could carry him through his dizziness, the building collapsed, with children still trapped inside.  
Behind him Clara and the children who survived were huddled together, coughing, crying, not all of them realizing that some of them were missing. Other did, and stared at the flames in horror.  
Jacob stared at the flame too. He clenched his fist, rage boiling inside him. Or was it despair? Powerlessness? He had lost his sister to Templars, and he hadn't been able to save those kids. 

“This is a nightmare” He whispered to himself. Oh how he wished he had woken up at this moment, and realized it had all just been a bad dream, that no one had died, that his sister was still free and nagging him about all sort of things.  
But it was real life, and he was very much stuck in this nightmarish reality.  
Clara went up to him. She stayed quiet, wanting to say something but not sure what to say.

“I'm sorry.. Because of me.. Miss Frye..”

I should be the one apologizing. We came to save you and look at how it ended? He thought, bitterly. 

“Get yourselves to safety.” Jacob simply said. “I'll find Evie. But you need to stay safe.”

Clara nodded, and led the children to someplace Jacob hoped would be safe. He needed to find Evie. But how?  
The only person who knew this city well enough was Henry. Perhaps he could find information, a lead, anything for Jacob to look into. He rushed back to the train, trying to focus on his duty, and not on the overwhelming feelings powerlessness and despair that were trying to swallow him. Breaking down now would be useless. Evie needed him. 

Perhaps his father had been right, after all. Sometimes ignoring your feelings was the best way to go. But it hadn't saved Evie, nor the Children who died that day. So what was the good thing to do, if even that felt like a failure?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are slowly progressing. There is a tiny bit of torture in that chapter. Welll a tiny bit. Depends who you ask. I really feel sorry about that, but you gotta do what you gotta do.  
> Hope you'll enjoy this chapter, if you have gotten that far!

Henry had not taken the news well. How could he? Evie had been taken by Templars, and he couldn't help but think that if he had been better in the field- then he could have been there. He could have helped the twins and the three of them would have made it out of there in one piece. He didn't dare to ask Jacob how he was holding up. He looked determined, almost angry. He was ready to take his revenge and bring his sister back. For now he looked like a lion in a cage, walking in circle, not being able to do anything. Henry was afraid that if he didn't find any information soon, Jacob would simply go insane from waiting. Agnes, who was sitting at her desk, like usual, had noticed too. 

“For God sake boy, you should go take a walk or something! You're going to drive all of us crazy starting with you!” The woman declared. 

Jacob looked at her, surprised. He had been pacing up and down the train, sometimes stopping, trying to relax and clear his head enough to think up something, anything he could do. But it was just getting him more frustrated.

“I've sent messages to my contacts Jacob, but the answers will not reach us before a while.” Henry started. “I will send someone to find you once it's there. But in the meantime, I think Miss Agnes is right. You should keep yourself busy with other things.”

“Oh, because that's easy!” Jacob snapped back. He almost immediately regretted it, and sighed. He really needed to get all his frustration out of his system.  
Without a word, he left the train, and made his way to the nearest clandestine fighting club. If there was one thing that could help him to get rid of his frustration, it was this. He had considered it, but he had wondered if it was really alright to just go, leaving Henry to work alone. He wanted to help. And he had tried to. He had tried to ask around the area where Evie had been taken if people had seen anything. He had tried to interrogate a few random templars. And he found nothing. There was no lead for him to follow. 

 

He stepped inside the ring and rolled his neck, ready to fight. He hoped his adversaries wouldn't be too weak. He really needed a bit of challenge today. “Send me 3 of the best you have.” He had said to a wide eyed Robert Toppling, who quickly recovered and started smiling at the perspective of such a fight and the money it would bring.  
Three men stepped inside the ring, and charged. 

It was over soon. Jacob threw all he had in this fight. All the frustration, the rage, the need for action. He used it all. Fights after fights. The bets were going crazy. The crowd was shouting, cheering. Everyone defending their bet. He liked that kind of atmosphere. All that mattered was the fighting, and even the money he would get out of it was a thought in the back of his mind. It was simple. Something he could do better than anyone else. It took eight rounds for Jacob to finally feel drained, and he stepped out of the ring, the crowd cheering after him. Robert handed him the money he had won, and appeared to be delighted. Jacob could hardly process what he was saying.  
When he left the building, night was slowly falling on the city. It was going to be a long night. He wouldn't be getting a lot of sleep, he knew that. He had a few ideas of what he could do to keep himself busy, mostly drinking and breaking things that belong to the Templars. But first he needed a bath. 

 

Evie slipped in and out of consciousness. She had been tranquilized, she knew it. Her limbs felt numb, her head heavy. She was laying somewhere dark and damp, and sometimes she heard talking and the distant echo of footsteps. She couldn't remember a lot. The fire, the children.. Her brother. Jacob… She hoped he was fine. She hoped the children were fine.  
She heard a loud, screeching sound. She winced, closing her eyes briefly. From where she was laying she saw someone enter the room, and slide down what appeared to be a plate. 

“Food” a woman said, before leaving.

Her head was starting to clear a bit. It took her a few more minutes to sit up and properly look around. She was in a dark and damp cell, the floor and walls were made of stones. She was most likely underground. The frequent echo of footsteps and voices told her that wherever she was, she was certainly not here alone. A Templar prison. She should have guessed that considering the extent of their power in London and England in general, they could afford to have vast prisons to keep their enemies in a more “official” way. Templars were unlike assassins, they liked to use the law to their advantage when they saw fit. How many innocent people were kept here under false accusation just because they had crossed Starrick and his men?  
But why was she here? They would've been better off killing her. Unless…

They needed information. And she was their way to getting them. She needed to get away.  
She looked around, looking for all the weakness she saw. The wall on her left seemed to be weak in some places. If the footsteps were those of the guards, there weren't many down here.. Three, at most. And there was probably more prisoners, whose help she could get. Or at least, she could free them and cause a bit of mayhem while she escaped. But how long did she have? She looked at the plate in front of her. Nothing much, just the necessary to keep her alive. It could also be drugged. She was still feeling sick because of whatever tranquilizers they had given her anyway. She didn't need to eat for now. She focused on coming up with an escape plan, but she knew it wouldn't be easy. She had no idea of what was above her, of how many guards there were, or even where she was. Could she even walk? Her leg still hurt. She had no idea of how bad her wound was. At least it appeared to have been treated. She had so many questions, and so few answers. Was she still in London? Or was she somewhere else? How was she going to come back? She tried to hang onto hope, she could get herself out of there. And maybe Jacob and Henry would get to her first. Part of her hoped they would, another told her that it could put them in unnecessary danger. Their work in London was too important for them to throw it all away for Evie's sake. Yet she hoped they would come. She wanted to see them both again. She would try everything in her power for that.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the door opened again. This time two men stepped inside the cell to take hold of her, they handcuffed her and dragged her out. She soon found out that if she could stand on her leg, it hurt too much to walk, and she could hardly fight back as they forced her to move. Not that fighting back would be of any help in her situation. She didn't know where she was being taken, but she had a bad feeling about it.

 

As information took their time arriving, Jacob kept on trying to investigate on his side. It was going to be a day since Evie was taken. On the plus side, if they had captured her alive, she couldn't have been taken too far, and it was unlikely she was already dead. But the more time they waited, the more Evie's life was at risk. He was growing restless with every passing hour. He decided that staying in the train would not help, and so he had ranted a cheap room somewhere in Whitechapel. It wasn't unusual for him or his sister to rent rooms at random times, when they were focused on a mission. Assassins rarely had he luxury of settling down. Jacob didn't mind too much. It did offer him a certain freedom which he appreciated. 

Of course, his wild run didn't take him farther than it had the last time. He was, once more, empty handed, and frustrated. He had been tempted to go back to the train and ask Henry about his contacts. He would go find them himself one by one if necessary. But as he made his way there, he thought that it was certainly not the right thing to do. Henry's contacts had their own contacts, and chasing individually for one person who had the right information was not a very effective way to go about things. Jacob resigned himself to wait, and decided he would not go back to the train until Henry had found something. He went to check on Clara and the children, who were laying low for now. He asked them to keep an eye out nonetheless, and to keep him updated. He had still a hard time looking at them in the eye. He felt guilty. He felt guilty because he kept on thinking that maybe, he should have just let them and went after Evie. He knew it wasn't the right thing to do. But the right thing to do was often a blur. He needed- They needed Evie to take down the Templars, and set the city and its citizens free. Without Evie, chances were they would get nowhere. So were children's life really worth her sacrifice? Of course they are. He told himself. But a part of him was not so sure about this anymore. All he wanted was to get his sister back, and for Starrick and his lackeys to pay. And there is very few place for compassion in revenge.

Jacob contacted Sergeant Aberline, hoping that maybe the police would have more information. He didn't really like getting involved with them, but he trusted Freddy to keep quiet about what they did in the city. Freddy didn't know anything about Evie's whereabouts, but that if he found something, he would keep Jacob updated. He also, unsurprisingly enough; complained about the warehouse burning down. 

“You can blame Starrick for that one, Freddy.” Jacob said. 

“There were so many old buildings in the area. They could have all caught on fire. And London would have been burning once more.” He sighed. 

“I don't think it would have come to that” Jacob assured, amused by how dramatic the other man was being.

“Anyway, I will look into it, but I can't promise you much. Starrick's men are good at hiding in plain sight. Unless we have information that come from inside his organization, it's unlikely Scotland Yard will hear of anything.”  
Something clicked in Jacob's head. Jacob you idiot. He thought. He needed information directly from Starrick's organization. And he knew where to get it. He happened to know someone who used to work for Starrick. Maxwell Roth. While he probably didn't know about what was going on among the Templars, as he stopped working for Starrick, he probably knew who knew. He had been so busy trying to find everything on his own, and getting frustrated waiting for information to come from Henry's contacts, that he had forgotten his own contacts.

“I need to go Freddy. Tell me if you find anything.” He said, suddenly in a hurry.

“Of course. I hope you'll find your sister soon. She is a good woman. This city could use more people like her.”  
Jacob smiled at him, sadly. He could only agree with him. For all her faults, Evie was a genuinely good and caring person, who dedicated herself to helping others. They needed her back.

 

He barely paid any attention to Lewis when he stepped through the backdoor of the Music hall. He was in a hurry, and had no time to explain himself. He almost immediately spotted Roth, who didn't appear to be busy at the moment. Around the room the artist were rehearsing whatever show they were planning on doing, and barely anyone paid attention to him as he stepped up to the man, who was feeding the crow, Rook, through the bars of the bird cage. The bird's caw could be heard over the talking and even singing at a certain distance, and it seemed to keep people away from the table where the cage was settled. As Jacob came closer the crow started to get agitated, and Roth looked up, spotting Jacob.

“You have an habit of coming to visit at the most unexpected times, dear.” Roth said, but he was smiling. 

“I'm afraid the reason for my visit is not very pleasant this time.” Jacob's face was relaxed, but he remained serious, he was here for business after all. Roth was an intelligent man, and he appeared to understand the situation. He stood up.

“And what is the reason of your visit then?”

“Starrick's men have taken my sister. I need your help to find her.” Jacob said, trying not to sound too desperate. He was trying to sound professional, but he couldn't help but see Roth as a friend, not as the leader of the Blighters.  
Roth's expression shifted. Jacob couldn't quite tell what he was thinking. 

“As you know me and Starrick are not on friendly term.” He started. “I don't know where your sister was taken.”He paused “However finding someone who knows should not be a difficult task. I have a quite a long list of names, all of them Starrick's associates. One of them is bound to know, don't you think?” 

Jacob felt a strange relief wash over him. He tried to reason with himself. He shouldn't relax before Evie has been found. Yet, it was a step in the right direction, He was sure of it. So he allowed himself a small amount of relief, and felt more determined than ever. Now he finally was doing something. 

“What do you need in exchange? I-” Jacob started, but Roth, cut him short, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Find your sister, and your debt is settled, dear Jacob.” He smiled “after all, it profits us both that she comes back alive and well. You get back your sister, and I, two additional hand to help in our little war against Starrick.”  
Jacob was at a loss for words. He was not expecting to get that kind of help for free. He still felt in Roth's debt, and he intended to repay it eventually.

“I- I suppose it's true.” Jacob smiled, embarrassed. He didn't know what to say, and felt even more of an idiot than usual for it. “Thank you, Roth.”  
Roth grinned, and tapped his shoulder, looking somewhat enthusiastic.

“You'll thank me once your dear sister is back. Then we'll celebrate properly. With fireworks.” He made a wide gesture with his hands, mimicking an explosion and laughed, Jacob chuckled. He would enjoy blowing up Starrick's things even more once Evie put to safety.

 

Two days passed, and nothing happened. Jacob was becoming crazy with the waiting. The third day, however early in the morning, he received a message from Henry, putting an end to his waiting. Jacob immediately left, running, to meet Henry at his shop, just like the message indicated. His heart was beating fast. He was anxious. Did he finally get the information they were looking for? Were they going to be able to find Evie?  
When He got there Henry appeared rather gloomy. Jacob knew it wasn't good news. 

“What news Greeny?” Jacob asked, out of breath. 

“One of my contact has disappeared. I suspect she could have had information about Evie's whereabouts.” Henry said. No wonder he looked upset. 

“What makes you think she disappeared?” Jacob asked. “Maybe she hasn't gotten your letter yet.”

“I contacted her directly. She doesn't really have an address. When we met she told me she had a lead. When I went to our planned meeting point, she wasn't there. I asked around and was told she was being followed. I have an idea of where she could have gone into hiding, but it could be a trap.”

Jacob nodded. He understood the situation. He would have preferred good news, but with a bit of luck, they might come later, once they found Henry's contact.

“That's why you called me here.” He paused. “so when do we leave?”

They left almost immediately. Henry's contact apparently had a few hiding spots in Whitechappel, and so they checked each place to look for her. The third of their stops was in some sort of underground tunnel. They walked until Jacob spotted something at a corner. He stopped Henry, and silently sneaked around the corner. Once there, he stopped, and sighed. A dead woman, wearing a dirty blue dress, was laying there. She had been stabbed in the abdomen, as indicated by the tear in the fabric on the dress, as well as the now dried blood covering the dress in that particular place. But there weren't any sign of struggle. She had been killed somewhere else and came back here to die. She was laying on a makeshift bed, next to which was an extinguished candle, and a knife, which was covered in blood.

Henry joined him, and knelt next to the dead woman. 

“I'm sorry Nora.” He said. Then he looked up at Jacob. “She may have left us something. We should look around.”

Jacob looked around, under the makeshift bed, but nothing under there. As he swept the place with his eyes, he saw blood on a spot on the wall near the body. He went to take a look at it, crouching near the body, and upon closer inspection, one of the stone appeared to be loose. He had no difficulty to remove it, and a small cavity was behind it. It was probably used for all sort of exchanges. He reached inside the dark hole and took out a small piece of paper, on which a single name was written.  
Jacob turned toward Henry.

“Does the name Simon Johnson sound familiar to you?” 

Henry looked at him, eyebrow furrowed. Jacob stood up and handed him the piece of paper. Henry examined it for a few second.

“I think I heard it somewhere. Probably a templar. I cannot say for sure.” He paused, trying hard to remember the name. “I keep track of the names of known templars in a register inside my shop. We should head back there and I will look at it.”

Jacob nodded, then they both fell quiet, looking at the dead woman.

“I will signal the body later.” Henry sighed. “She was a good woman. Very cunning. Thank you Nora.”

 

They both headed back to Henry's shop, but as they approached it, They both slowed down. Two blighters. One man, and a woman, were waiting in front of the shop. When they saw the two men approach, they stepped toward them, slowly, not appearing to reach for their weapons. Henry was ready to attack, but Jacob held out his hand to stop him.

“Wait.” He said.

The two blighters came up to them. The woman looked at the both of them, she looked tense. Understandable. 

“You're Jacob Frye?” She asked, looking at Jacob. Though she appeared to know the answer.

“That's me.”

She reached in her pocket and took out an envelop, which she handed over to him. Jacob looked at it briefly before taking it. 

“Mr.Roth said it's urgent.” She told him.

Jacob opened the Envelop. He recognized Roth's handwriting. 

 

_Dearest Jacob,  
_

__

_I have in my possession something that will surely brighten your day. I know you are a busy man, but it would be in your interest to come retrieve your gift as soon as possible._  
Sincerly,  


_Maxwell Roth._

 

He looked up at the two blighters, and nodded. They turned around and climbed in a nearby carriage, leaving Henry and Jacob alone in front of the shop. Henry appeared confused.

“What was that about?” He asked.

“I think I have a lead. “Jacob simply told him. “Check the name, I need to go. I'll meet you back in the train!” Jacob told him, already running off.  
Henry could barely formulate his answer that Jacob was already gone. He was somehow used to it by now. Both twins always seemed in a hurry, and rarely gave any clarifications of why. He was a bit worried though. He had heard the name Roth, and could only suppose that they spoke of the blighters' leader. He hoped Jacob wouldn't get in trouble. He would never forgive himself if both twins disappeared under his watch. He stepped inside his shop, and proceeded to look through his list of names. It was not hard to find.

 

Evie knew that if she got caught by Templars, she would either be killed… Or much worse. She should have been more careful. But through the daze and pain that clouded her brain, she didn't really have time to think about it, or regret it.  
She was in a dark room. A small, cold and damp room. She was tied to a chair, her clothes were dirty and torn, covered in blood and dirt. She was tired, she wanted to sleep. But everytime she closed her eyes, pain woke her up. Or her torturer did.  
Her black hair were falling on her face, dirty, bloody too, probably. He face was swollen, covered in cuts and bruises. She forced herself to focus on everything but the pain and her torturer's words. The man was a tall and fat man, with a beard. He had a calm, almost soothing voice, which he used to threaten, weaken, and manipulate. Evie wouldn't listen, trying to focus her mind on most pleasant things. At first she thought she could listen, that no word of his could hurt her. But after a few days of being toyed with, she knew that it was starting to get to her. He played a strange game. Sometimes he wouldn't let her eat, he wouldn't let her sleep, for a day or two, and then he suddenly brought her back to her cell, where she got food and just enough sleep before having it all taken away as she was dragged to this room. 

He took his time, talking more than he hurt her, certainly. When he saw that she was too distracted, he would punch her, and force her to answer his questions. He asked about the shroud. About the brotherhood. They even had the guts to ask about her brother. She didn't answer any of it. She glared at the man, and spat the blood that had accumulated in her mouth on the floor. 

But it was so hard to not give in. It was so painful. Every time he cut her skin, he took his time, always in painfull places. He had snapped three of her fingers carefully in different place. He would do it again, reopening french wounds, preventing bones from healing. And his words too. His words could cut as deep as his blade. No matter how untrue Evie knew them to be. She was so very tired, so alone, and in so much pain, that the man's sweet words and promises were almost tempting... She wanted to give in. She would never be able to escape on her own. She was in too bad shape. But if she said anything, how many people would suffer? She didn't want anyone else to have to suffer because of her. Every time she felt her resolve falter, she thought of all the people she loved, of all the good people in this world, who didn't deserve betrayal. She thought of her brother, of Henry, of the urchins, of all her allies, all the brotherhood… Even her father. If there was an after life, she didn't want to find him there knowing she had compromised everything they fought for. Then, she felt her resolve strengthen, briefly, enough for her to close her eyes, bite her tongue and hope she would die soon.

 

When Jacob arrived at the Music hall, Roth was obviously waiting. He grinned when he saw him, immediately walking up to him.

“I knew you would come here running. And you will not regret it.” He put a hand on Jacob's shoulder “Come, your gift is waiting for you in some place less… crowded.”  
Jacob barely had time too pen his mouth, but he didn't mind. He followed Roth to his carriage, this time Lewis was driving, while the two of them climbed at the back. Jacob wasn't really used to being a passenger in carriages. Or neverfor too long anyway. 

“So, what have you got for me?” Jacob asked.

Roth smiled.

“Who do I have for you.” he corrected. “A man named Simon Johnson. One of Starrick's men. He isn't an influent man, but he doesn't lack of ambition. He has been put at the head of a few of Starrick's business very recently. One can only guess he has made quite a good impression to earn such favors.”

Jacob recognized the name. Henry wouldn't have to look for too long apparently.

“I guess capturing my sister could earn a man such favors from Starrick.” Jacob said.

“Precisely. He claims to be responsible for her capture, at least.” Roth appeared relaxed. He had his leg crossed and his hands joined, resting on his lap. If there was something Jacob found somewhat intriguing, it's that Roth, who was so intense, could also appear so proper at times. Right now, it was one of these times. He was fascinating, but in these moments, Jacob simply thought he looked like some kind of handsome noble that the girls back in his teenage years, would've dreamt to marry. Thankfully, Roth didn't have the annoying posh accent and snobbish behavior. This thought slightly amused Jacob, who imagined what Roth must have been like when he was younger. This kept him busy from his anxious thoughts, though not for long. It was a critical moment that he was living. If everything went well, he soon would know where Evie had been taken He was anxious to know what happened to her, and he wanted to get to her as fast as he could. He needed answers. He needed actions. But it was all too slow. He felt  
like he should already be at his sister's side, rescuing her from wherever the templars had been keeping her these last days. He missed his sister, and he was worried sick for her.

They arrived in some sort of residential area. There were blighters all over the place. They both got off the carriage, Roth leading through small alleys, until they reached a house. The house had nothing special about it. It didn't stand out. Perhaps it was a bit old. The only thing that indicated it wasn't inhabited by the average London citizen, was the fact that two blighters stood in front of the door. Two men, huge guys, large shoulders, very intimidating, enough to drive away any curious passerby. It was strange for Jacob, walking through an area full of blighters, and not having to fight them. They all side eyed him, obviously wary. But they didn't say anything. He was with their boss after all. 

Roth stepped toward the house and the two men immediately stepped aside to let them in. Inside, there were other blighters. A woman, and a man. They were playing cards but looked up when they heard the two of them step inside. Upon recognizing their leader, they both stood up and greeted him, then eyed Jacob with a rather confused expression, but said nothing.

“We got the bloke you asked for. Not much of a fighter. ” The woman spoke. “Still, he made a fuss, but we got him alive. He's upstairs.”  
Roth grinned, clapping his hand in delight. 

“Excellent work everyone!” Then he looked at Jacob. “Shall we?” 

The man looked way too excited about it. Jacob didn't really mind. In fact it helped him relax a bit. He was so anxious and tense, which was to be expected considering the events. But having a bit of positivity around him didn't hurt. He himself was somehow looking forward to possibly getting to punch someone who was responsible for his sister's capture.

“Let's not make your guest wait any longer.” Jacob said, with a wry smile. He would enjoy punching this bloke, whoever he was.

They climbed up the stairs, and entered a room. There, a man was tied to a chair, gagged, and his eyes widened when he saw the two men enter the room. He was trying to say something, but whatever words he tried to form didn't make it through past the cloth that held his mouth shut. Jacob stared at the man. And he recognized him. Anger rose inside of him, his blood was boiling. He was the templar who had taken his sister. The man who had set up the trap to drag them to that warehouse. Unable to control his rage, Jacob jumped at the man's throat, causing the chair to collapse on the floor. He punched him him straight in the face. The man let out a muffled cry, blood dripping from his nose. He seemed confused, then his eyes met Jacob's, and he seemed to realize his situation.

“You're the one who took Evie.” He hissed, pulling at the man's collar, ready to strike again. The man clearly was afraid, and the muffled sound he made could be interpreted as begging. He was certainly not the bravest of templars, seeing as he went as far as too capture children to lure Evie and Jacob into his trap. Jacob turned his head toward the blighter who had been standing next to the prisonner, and was staring at him with an unreadable expression.

“Why is he gagged?” He asked the blighter.

“we had to gag him. He was calling for help and crying like a child..” He explained.

“Remove it. We need to have a little chat.” Jacob said, putting his hidden blade against the man's throat. “Speak out of turn, and you're dead, understood?” He said, with a smile, before standing up, pulling up the chair with him, sitting the man back with his feet on the floor. The blighter removed the gag, then left the room.

Roth hadn't moved from his spot near the door. He was observing, almost like he didn't want to interrupt. Jacob was rather thankful for that. He wanted to get the information out of the man himself. He wanted to make the templar pay. He wanted all templars to pay. But for now, just this one would do.

“I have a very simple question for you: Where is my sister?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOh did I mention my chapters could be irregular in size? Well this one is a bit shorter (a bit meaning half the size of the previous ones as it appears). Important infos are found, and alliances are made... for the best or the worst I guess.  
> Hope You'll like this one. Try to not remain too hopeful. I like playing with people's feelings :p

Unsurprisingly enough, the templar didn't try to resist too much, and gave Jacob the answers he needed, after he promised he wouldn't harm him too much. He was clearly deadly afraid, and once he had talked, he looked nervously at Jacob. “You have to let me go now. You gave your word. Surely you assassins know a thing or two about honor?”

Jacob looked at the man. His face devoid of all emotion. Then he turned toward Roth.

“You found him. You can dispose of him however you like.”

Roth smiled, clearly appreciating this choice. Then he went to open the door to let his blighters inside the room.

“I believe Mr.Johnson is done here. Time for a little house cleaning.”

They advanced toward Johnson, who was still bound to his chair, the man's eyes growing wide as the two blighters approached him, one of them taking out a small knife.

“You gave your word- You assassins are dogs- you have no honor, no purpose. What will killing me achieve?” He spat, trying to look angry despite his wide eyes, and the fact that he was visibly fighting against his restraints, though is movements were panicked and messy. He was not going to go anywhere.

“You want to talk about honor? You want to talk about purpose? What about these children you killed? Is that what you templars call honor? Don't make me laugh.” Jacob glared at him. “As far as I'm concerned, I kept my word. I'm not responsible of Roth's decisions.” He turned away, and exited the room. 

He was feeling eve, more enraged than before. He had thought knowing where his sister was would've helped him feel less agitated. But now, he felt like he was burning from the inside, burning with anger and revenge. He needed to find his sister and make all those templars pay for what they had done to her. He didn't know if she was still alive, all he knew is that she was kept as a prisoner in a templar fortress outside the City. He was no fool, if she wasn't dead, and was kept as a prisoner, they were trying to get information out of her. Maybe he was too late. But even if he arrived too late, he could still have his revenge. He would not let his sister be forgotten, or die in vain. But how was he going to get to Evie? The templar had talked about a templar Fortress. Which meant a heavily guarded, and possibly huge building. How could he and Henry manage such a thing? Jacob was confident in his own skills, but this? They needed more info. They needed more people.

“Are you alright dear?” Roth said, arriving from behind Jacob's back, and putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“I just learned that my sister is kept in a bloody templar fortress for interrogation. How do you think I feel?” He snapped back, turning to face the man. Roth didn't appear to react to the words, he just stared back. It took a few seconds for Jacob to realized what he had just done. He had snapped at the man who had helped him so much to look for his sister, in exchange for nothing. Roth had been nothing but helpful and he had been a great friend to Jacob. Yes, a friend. At this point, it wasn't a question in Jacob's mind. He saw Roth as more than a business partner; no amount of rationalization of how bad and dangerous it could be to make a friend of the Blighters' leader and former Starrick associate would change the fact that, in Jacob's mind they were friends. 

“I--- I'm sorry. I should Thank you, not.. ” He took a deep breath, frustrated that he was stammering incoherently out of embarrassment. “You've been a great help, Roth. But my sister is still in danger and I have no idea how I'm going to get to her in time, if it's not too late.” He sighed heavily. He was feeling all over the place. The anger was starting to be replaced by fear and a hint of despair. He still wanted to kill all the templars holding Evie captive, but his worry for her was overwhelming it by far now that he was faced with a huge wall of questions of how was he going to save her? How was he going to survive? How could he know she was still alive? 

Jacob suddenly wondered if he had said too much, he was not used to sharing things with other people, just his sister. He was not sure what he expected Roth to say to that. He was not sure he should have talked at all. Maybe he should have just thanked Roth, and left to warn Henry about his discovery.

“Dear boy, you need to clear your head if you really want to help your sister.” He gave him a pat on the shoulder. “You won't go very far with a negative mindset. We will help your sister, you can trust my word.”

Jacob raised an eyebrow.

“We?”

“I have an offer for you, that would be to both our advantage.” He looked around. “But we should discuss that somewhere else. And with a glass of brandy in hand.”

Jacob chuckled. Alcohol was something he really needed right now. He felt a bit guilty to leave Henry hanging, but at the same time, if Roth had a proposition that could help Evie, he would prefer to hear it now and tell Henry about everything at the same time.

“I can't say no to that.” Jacob said. Roth grinned, and they both left the house and headed back to the carriage.

 

“So what you are suggesting.” Jacob said. He was at his second glass of brandy. “Is to lend me your Blighters and resources so I can take the fortress… And in exchange I let you take the fortress to expend your own business?” He was not sure he liked the idea. But he wasn't truly bothered by it either. It was a good opportunity for Roth, after all. Jacob had nothing to lose by accepting it, either. He had his Rooks, but they were a new organization. Roth's Blighters had been around for longer, and they probably had access to more resources. If the Blighters and Rooks teamed up, the fortress would be easy to take. Or at least easier than it would have been for two assassins to go in and out with a possibly wounded Evie without being caught. Way easier.  
On the other hand, was it really a good idea to let a gang expend outside of London, where it already controlled most of the city?

“A fair deal, don't you think?” Roth was smiling, drink in hand, waiting for Jacob's answer like he already knew he would get a positive answer. 

“Very fair deal. I get my sister, you get a fortress.”

Roth laughed.

“Said like this, it doesn't sound very fair, I can concede that.”

“For you. My sister could take down any fortress on her own.” Jacob said, with a confident smirk. “Or at least the two of us combined can.” 

“I will keep that in mind.” Roth said, looking amused. “I don't know what your sister and you are up to in this City, my dear, but I certainly like the idea of having the both of you as allies against Starrick.”

Jacob was feeling strangely relaxed now. He still was thinking about Evie, he still was somehow worried, but at least things were moving forward. And in the right direction. He didn't know If Henry would approve of his deal with Roth, though. But it's not like they really had a choice. And Jacob could always keep an eye on Roth's activities, at least he thought he could get the man to be more open about what he was up to with his Blighters than Templars were. Roth didn't seem to be the lying type. He was honest, perhaps too honest at times. An excess of confidence maybe, or just another quirky detail of his personality. Jacob liked that about him anyway. He didn't have to play games with Roth, none of them was trying to deceive or use the other under veiled smiles. It was relaxing. Jacob felt like he could trust him. It was a strange feeling. Sometimes, he would realize he had dropped his guard without noticing, which never failed to make him feel vulnerable and stupid. As an assassin, he had always his guard up, with almost everyone. He knew anyone could turn against him, or he would need to turn against them at some point. Perhaps that's why his father always insisted that they should not let personal feelings interfere in their mission. Anyone could be an ennemy. Nothing was permanent. 

But Jacob didn't have to follow this rule. He doubted Roth would turn against him. Everything about the way he acted and spoke showed that he was eager to earn Jacob's trust and friendship. At first he had been suspicious, but as time passed and Roth demanded nothing more of Jacob and his partnership than they had agreed; he felt like he could relax. Who would play the friendship card for so long without trying to get anything out of it? Jacob was known to use that very same card, and he knew how to recognize someone who was playing him. Or at least he thought so. In the end, when he thought about Roth, it was often to convince himself that he wasn't making a mistake. He always had this part in his head that told him that he was wrong. That he shouldn't trust Roth; that he shouldn't trust anyone. That he was going to be fooled. Remember Pearl Attaway? Didn't you think she was an ally too? But it was different. He was sure of it. Roth wasn't a templar, and he wasn't lying about his ties to Starrick. Why would he possibly turn against Jacob?

In the end Jacob never could find an answer. He just chose to put his trust in the man, hoping he wouldn't regret it.

 

 

Henry was dozing off after a day of researches, when he was abruptly awaken by a loud thud on the roof, followed by someone entering the train carriage without warning. He quickly recognized Jacob, who appeared to be in a rather good mood, compared to earlier today. Henry on the other hand was exhausted. He had barely uncovered anything and had waited for Jacob to come back all day. He was somehow angry at the young assassin for leaving without warning and only coming back at night. He hoped he had a good reason for leaving Henry alone to look for Evie. Jacob had been acting strangely these days, Henry thought. Of course with Evie being held captive by templars, it wasn't very surprising he would be feeling restless and upset, Henry too wasn't himself these days. But still. Something was off. It was probably the fact that he left off in a hurry after Blighters gave him a letter that made Henry suspicious. He wasn't sure he would get a straight answer from Jacob even if he asked him what this was about. 

As Jacob approached, Henry opened his mouth to speak “Jacob--”

“I know where Evie is.” Jacob cut, his face serious, and his eyes burning with determination.

Henry's heart skipped a beat. He knew where Evie was. He collected himself quite rapidly. Now was not time for emotionality, it was time for action. 

“You- You know where she is? How-?” 

Agnes who was nearby had turned around upon hearing the news. She had stood up to stand with the two assassins, and she looked at Henry as he spoke, eyebrow raised.

“It doesn't matter how, does it?” Then turning around to face Jacob “Just tell us where she is boy!”

Jacob smiled at the woman, clearly approving of her interruption, and threw something down on Henry's desk. A map. Jacob unwrapped it and put his finger on a spot, North from London. It was marked with a templar cross. It was one of the map that Henry kept in his shop. He chose to ignore the fact that Jacob probably broke in his shop to get the map instead of coming to see him directly, as it seemed not to surprising, somehow; and focused on the map. 

Henry knew this place. His heart sank. In his years in London, he had had several of his brothers and sisters assassins being taken there never to come back. It was where Starrick kept those opposing him, and also where he kept many of the order's secret. He had heard the place was full of templars, probably as well guarded than Buckingham Palace, only smaller and sturdier.

“Are you sure she's there?” He asked, looking at Jacob with worry clear on his face.

“I wouldn't be telling you that otherwise, Greeny.” Jacob said, not appearing to realize what it meant.

Henry moved away from the desk, trying to think. He was starting to feel dizzy. He was exhausted and had been experiencing all the spectrum of emotions in these last few minutes, which he was sure, was not good for his health.

“This fortress has been used by templars for a very long time. I would say that most assassins captured are taken there if not killed on the spot. They keep many secret there, and there is probably around a hundred men guarding it. It has fortifications.” He turned toward Jacob. “We can't possibly run in there on our own. Even if we managed to infiltrate the place, getting out with Evie won't be as easy.” he passed a nervous hand through his hair, sighing.

Agnes looked disheartened “Can't you come up with something? Anything?” She looked at the two of them. Agnes had gotten quite attached to all of them, she saw them almost everyday, and they all appreciated her work, and the woman herself. 

“The two of us can't, but luckily for us, we're not going to be on our own.”Jacob declared, looking at Henry with a confident smile.

Henry wasn't sure he would like whatever plan Jacob had come up with, but he was more than willing to listen.


End file.
